Live from VOS (in New Zealand)

[lownslow]

- we boarded at our set time 1.30pm. line moves vey fast and boarding was easy. They made everyone wait for set boarding times (except for the exception of the higher diamond?? Crown and anchor members). Rooms were ready at 4pm.

[Mark_Debs]

Hi ya, we are now on a sea day - heading towards tauranga ( apparently pronounced ta-rong).

Yes we have a kettle in our room with tea and coffee also a mini fridge, hair dryer and safe. Food has been great - main dining room is amazing - I couldn't fit my main in!

 

Windjammer is great also - yesterday we had Chinese for dinner ( with other options too), the stir fry station ( where they cook exactly what you want) is great and worth the wait in line.

 

This morning we did the dream works character breakfast. Didnt cost any extra and the kids loved it. Lots of photo ops with the characters. Limited numbers so book early.

 

Wellington is a great day but it's worth paying $10 ea for the shuttle as its spread out and the centre of town is quite a walk from the ship. The shuttle takes you to the museum and centre of town then back to the ship. (runs every 15mins).

The museum is fantastic and free and can easily take hours to see properly. lots of interactive stuff for the kids.

 

And of course tonight is new years eve - balloons are already in nets above the promenade and we have bought light up glasses/cups. Hats etc are handed out at dinner. There's a big screen they use for the count down and the cruise director Gordon tells us there's free champagne handed out and confetti guns that will go off too.

 

New Years Eve on board will be amazing. Hope you all have a fantastic time.

Gordon is an absolute laugh and a half. He really is the epitome of a cruise director.

 

Debbie

[diy dave]

New Years Eve on board will be amazing. Hope you all have a fantastic time.

Gordon is an absolute laugh and a half. He really is the epitome of a cruise director.

 

Debbie

Hear hear, agree Gordon is a gem. best natural born cruise director ever.

Dave

[Kiwi Kruzer]

They are in Tauranga for New Years Day

 

 

[lownslow]

Well, we have left Auckland and are on our way back to Sydney. Gorgeous weather again today. We headed out early and did the town and country tour for Auckland. I've found tours are a great way to see the areas we stop in. Our driver went above and beyond today with lots of added site seeing.

 

The Hobbiton tour from Tauranga is also great if you're a fan of the films. It's 4hrs long or from Auckland it's a 8 hr long tour (further on the bus).

Tauranga was lovely, very laid back- except for all of us taking over the main street. Plenty of shops too. One of our favourite stops.

[avalon007]

Thanks for the update.

 

Can you tell us what the current Noro situation is onboard?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Leaving Auckland

 

 

[Sweet on the sea]

Everyone is behaving very well from what I've seen - we are having a great time. We are nearly ready to leave Picton - very pretty. Snowed capped mountains most of our way here.

 

If you like bingo get in early as lines for cards are huge!! Backed up several flights of stairs! They had to move it from cleopatras needle to the theatre to fit everyone in.

 

I remember reading somewhere that there were no clotheslines. We are in a D1 aft balcony and there is a retractable one in the shower.

 

Can I ask how much does the bingo cost?

[diy dave]

Bingo was $22 for a mini game, thats 4 games at a time. We sailed on 8 Dec and it was' nt that busy till the last game.

[lownslow]

Well we are back in Sydney. Bit rough on Thursday - well very tough actually. Due to a cold front the captain told us. He said if we were on a smaller ship no one would have been out of their rooms as it would have felt rougher.

 

Bingo jackpot went off yesterday at $10,500!

No word from anyone including the captain for a week or so now about noro. So that's a good sign :)

 

All in all a great ship with a great (super friendly) bunch of staff.

Apparently we (Aussies) were the first to be early to reboard for sail aways every time.

 

What a grand old lady she is.

[callmewhatever]

Can't wait to sail on her next month :D

[joejoe 59]

Well we are back in Sydney. Bit rough on Thursday - well very tough actually. Due to a cold front the captain told us. He said if we were on a smaller ship no one would have been out of their rooms as it would have felt rougher.

 

Bingo jackpot went off yesterday at $10,500!

No word from anyone including the captain for a week or so now about noro. So that's a good sign :)

 

All in all a great ship with a great (super friendly) bunch of staff.

Apparently we (Aussies) were the first to be early to reboard for sail aways every time.

 

What a grand old lady she is.

 

Thank you for all your updates. Can you tell us what night the ice shows are on, & also when the breakfasts are on that have all the kiddies characters please. We dont have any young kids now but would still like to go myself.:D Also did the queuing settle down at the buffet after a couple of days?

[lownslow]

The buffet line up isn't to bad if you'd onto right when it opens. There are several sides they open as it gets busy.

The dream works breakfast is aimed at kids - a few of the characters come out, dance and do photos while you eat. Things like chocolate mud ( choc milk) on the menu.

 

I think there 3 days its done. I know it was days 5 and 10.

[lownslow]

* don't go right when it opens

 

The ice shows are run several times to suit different dinner seating times/ numbers. They will say the show is for odd or even numbers - You refer to the assembly point number on your sea pass card.

[joejoe 59]

* don't go right when it opens

 

The ice shows are run several times to suit different dinner seating times/ numbers. They will say the show is for odd or even numbers - You refer to the assembly point number on your sea pass card.

Thank you:)

[robinph]

Glad you are enjoying your cruise? Could you tell me if they have kettles in the stateroom? I know this is an odd question but this cruise we are on next we have lashed out and got a balcony room. Thought it would be good to have a kettle in the room. If not, I may throw my travel one in the suitcase. :D

 

Hi we were on Voyagers first cruise in Nov and YES there are kettles in the staterooms, there were teabags, sugar and milk sachets provided, I bought my own coffee with me, we had to ask for cups from the room steward, he bought us some cardboard cups which I hate drinking from, so we borrowed 2 from the buffet, later on he gave us proper ceramic mugs, so maybe the cardboard ones were because of the Noro on board. We were only in an inside cabin, so I would imagine other categories would definetly have them. Robin:)

[lownslow]

Our room was 8690 - corner aft, it was an E1

 

We had 2 x ceramic mugs with tea/sugar/milk and jug.

There were also 4 glasses in the bathroom.

 

We had 2 cheap laundry days - fill the bag for $15 but couldn't do skirts,dresses, jeans etc. Just shirts, underwear, shorts, socks and the like.

 

Since I am back on land with a computer I am attaching some photos of the room as I couldn't find many of it when we were booking.

It does have the single door - but its glass so you can still see the views. And makes it easier to sleep with the late sun sets around NZ.

[lownslow]

hmm the one pic I want to load bloody won't -grrrr

[hotrod36]

Hi Lownlow

 

We are in this cabin in 18 days time, did you like the cabin and was the view great. Anything you could tell me would be great, did you have lounge chairs on the balcony? thanks again

 

Tina

Our room was 8690 - corner aft, it was an E1

 

We had 2 x ceramic mugs with tea/sugar/milk and jug.

There were also 4 glasses in the bathroom.

 

We had 2 cheap laundry days - fill the bag for $15 but couldn't do skirts,dresses, jeans etc. Just shirts, underwear, shorts, socks and the like.

 

Since I am back on land with a computer I am attaching some photos of the room as I couldn't find many of it when we were booking.

It does have the single door - but its glass so you can still see the views. And makes it easier to sleep with the late sun sets around NZ.

[lownslow]

Absolutely loved it- we had 2 lounge chairs and 1 normal chair, plus a little table outside. The room was very quiet.

 

We did feel the movement a lot on the couple of rough days we had.

One of the cupboards would open and close all night and you could feel yourself shifting in the bed and the wine rolling in the fridge.

 

We didn't find the walk too far but I can understand how it could be difficult for those with problems walking - especially on those rough days when you are bouncing from wall to wall like a drunk. :)

[lownslow]

Some more pics - room with bunk bed down (our cabin steward did this each night whilst we were at dinner)

 

And the balcony

[avalon007]

I don't think I would be able to sleep if I had to have a bunk bed cantilevered over my head like that, & if the child rolled out of bed it would give you a hell of a fright! :eek:

[The_Big_M]

They have bars on the edge to stop you from rolling out. But that's the first time I've seen a bunk set up like that!